Classroom Accommodations for Students with Disabilities and Those At-risk Tim Lewis, Ph.D. University of Missouri Reesha Adamson, Ph.D. Missouri State University

The Challenge Students spend majority of their school day in the classroom Majority of “discipline problems” originate in the classroom and often result in removal from instruction Remaining engaged in instruction essential to student academic and social success “Culture” of education often reinforces ineffective practices and creates barriers to implementing effective practices

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Need for Research Poor outcomes among students with emotional and behavioral disorders High dropout rate Poor academic achievement Poor post-school outcomes Few evidence-based interventions targeting high school age students

Cross-Disciplinary Focus Special Education Mental /Behavioral Health

Goals of Major Study Identify/develop effective education and mental health interventions for students with emotional and behavioral problems Maximize intervention feasibility Maintain evidence based best practices approach Develop interventions within existing school resources

Considerations for Intervention Development Interventions must be multi-component to adequately address the diverse needs of students with EBD Interventions must be delivered by practitioners after relatively little training and with minimal on-going technical assistance Classroom and Mental Health Manuals Assessment & Resources matched to interventions

Manuals Overview / Rationale / Evidence Assessment / Data source to match Intervention steps Supporting forms/ tools/ examples

Overview of Intervention Components Intervention Focus Core Student Challenge Specific Strategy Enhancing School and Teacher Capacity Academic Skills Emotional/Behavioral Problems Classroom Structure / Management Evidence-Based Academic Instruction (OTR, Student interest, Accommodations) Teacher-Student Interactions Building Youth Competence Social Skills General Living Connectedness Mental Health Interpersonal Skills Coaching Organization and Study Skills Mentoring (Check & Connect) MH intervention when indicated (Anxiety & Depression) Increasing Family and Community Supports Behavior Parent Education Homework guidance Securing Effective Therapy & Supports

Basic Logic All students enrolled in “check & connect” Organization Progress Monitoring Mentoring / problem solving Classrooms targeted for intervention based on combination of student failure and evidence of problem behavior Classroom Assessment – interventions tailored to address weaknesses /missing components & reinforce strengths

Check & Connect Developed for high-risk urban students at the secondary level (Anderson, Christenson, Sinclair, Lehr, 2004; Evelo, Sinclair, Hurley, Christenson, Thurlow, 1996) Utilizes a monitoring system with two components Check Systematically assess the extent to which students are engaged in school. Connect Respond on a regular basis to students’ educational needs according to their type and level of risk for disengagement from school. Establish an adult mentor at school to enhance school engagement

CHECK M Tu W Th F Tardy Skip Absent Behavior referral Detention In-school suspension Out-of-school suspension Failing classes/Behind in credits _____ D’s _____ F’s _____ Classes passed out of _____ total ____Credits earned out of _____ total < High risk for month CONNECT BASIC Shared general information Provided regular feedback Discussed staying in school Problem-solved about risk INTENSIVE Arranged for alternative to suspension Contracted for behavior or grades Communicated with parents Made special accommodations Participated in community service Participated in social skills group Worked with tutor or mentor Other_____________________

Classroom Assessment Targets Classroom Structure Rules and routines Improving Teacher-Student Interactions Evidence-Based Academic Instruction Opportunities to Respond (OTR) Incorporating students’ choice and interests Accommodations Responding to problem behavior

Need for Appropriate Accommodations Approximately 85% of secondary students with EBD have at least one class in the general education setting. Help students: access grade level materials access instruction improve classroom performance. Prevent students from falling farther behind academically and potentially dropping out.

Percentage of Students Academic Services, Supports, and Modifications for Students with EBD (Wagner et al., 2006) Supports Percentage of Students Elementary Middle High More time to take tests 72.8 72.6 75.6 Tests read to students 45.6 40.0 26.5 Modified tests 43.7 46.3 24.2 More time to complete assignments 66.5 67.3 54.2 Modified assignments 47.9 41.4 20.8 Modified grading standards 37.3 27.3 14.5 Slower-paced instruction 51.0 46.5 19.0 Peer tutoring 17.0 10.5 8.2 Adult tutoring 15.3 8.4 7.6 Learning strategies/study skills 33.0 36.5 27.5

Problems (Fuchs & Fuchs) Students with disabilities and those at high-risk for academic failure need accommodations to succeed in general education classes Accommodations not routinely provided When they are provided, teachers do not know how to select accommodations Most accommodations randomly selected Accommodations not matched to student need

Accommodations vs. Modifications Changes to how academic content is presented or assessed Accommodations do not change what the student is expected to master Modifications change what the student is expected to master

Accommodations Assumptions Allow the student to earn a valid score, not necessarily an optimal score Produce a differential boost A single accommodation is not valid or beneficial for all students A student may need more than one accommodation. Testing accommodations and instructional accommodations should be similar

Accommodation Manual

Purpose of Guide Facilitate selection of one or more accommodations that are matched to the student’s specific academic or behavioral needs Increase the match between a particular student’s difficulty and an appropriate accommodation. Match testing accommodations to instructional accommodations

Implementation of Guide Provide teachers who rated accommodations as feasible and acceptable with model on how to choose accommodations Identify student problem Select related accommodation Have teachers implement the accommodation Assess student performance Gather teacher feedback and treatment acceptability data post implementation

Accommodations Guide Model

CASE Study

Participant Description Externalizing behaviors Low academic abilities 3rd Grade academic functioning General education co-taught History class Teacher selected interventions (based on feasibility) Accommodations Positive Teacher/Student Interactions

Model Implementation Step #1: Collect three samples of student work demonstrating frequent errors or low grades. Identify accommodations provided in IEP

Student IEP Accommodations Testing: Alternative setting Extended time for completion Read test to student (if requested) Assignments and Instruction: Lower difficulty level-shorten assignments Provided structured time to organize materials Frequent reminders of rules Check often for understanding/review Extended time for oral responses Extended time for written responses Maintain assignment notebook Bathroom break first 5 mins. of class, unless emergency Use lined paper for written assignments Assist or provide notes and study guides Extended to create assignments (1 ½ weeks or as agreed upon w/ teacher)

Step #2: Identify general indicators of concern Writing, specifically difficulty organizing writing “Couldn’t complete short answer” Attention to detail “Chose wrong answers on multiple choice and selected obviously wrong answers” Planning and time management “Ran out of time to complete the test even when given multiple class periods”

Step # 3 Identify accommodations matched to student’s needs Writing: Difficulty Organizing Writing Graphic Organizers Attention to Detail Assign a Peer Partner Use Graphic Organizers Chunk Large Assignments into Smaller Tasks Planning and Time Management

Step # 4: Coordinate accommodations Model Accommodations Writing: Difficulty Organizing Writing Graphic Organizers Attention to Detail Assign a Peer Partner Use Graphic Organizers Chunk Large Assignments into Smaller Tasks Planning and Time Management IEP Accommodations Testing- Alternative Setting Extended time for completion Read test to student (if requested) Assignments and Instruction- Lower Difficulty Level-Shorten Assignments Provided Structured Time to Organize Materials Frequent Reminders of Rules Check often for understanding/review Extended time for Oral Responses Extended time for Written Responses Maintain Assignment Notebook Bathroom Break first 5 mins. Of class, unless emergency Use lined paper for written assignments Assist or Provide Notes and Study Guides Extended to create assignments (1 ½ weeks or as agreed upon w/ Teacher)

Step #5: Meet with the student for input and preferences Student agreed with teachers concerns. Student agreed to all suggested accommodations. Student requested: A different seat with less distractions during independent work. Materials if he forgot to bring them.

Step #6: List accommodations to be implemented and evaluated. Prioritize Determine instruction or testing Define and describe conditions: 1) Use graphic organizers (I/T) All in class work, Teacher-created or pre-made organizers. 1) Change seat to reduce distractions (I/T) Student and teacher will meet to discuss alternative seat, can be changed if student does demonstrate classroom expectations. 1) Materials be given to student if forgotten (e.g. pencil) (I/T) Student must request material at the start of the class and give teacher collateral for the return of material at the end of the class period. 2) Assign a peer partner (I) All in-class work with a teacher chosen partner. 3) Chunk large assignments into smaller tasks (I) All in class assignments spanning multiple class periods with a teacher-created checklist of completed tasks.

Step #7: Teach the accommodations Assign a peer partner What are the appropriate behaviors of working with a peer? What noise level can you work with a peer? What does helping vs. doing look like? Use graphic organizers How do I use graphic organizers (5 paragraph outline, flow chart, venn diagram, checklist, etc.)? Chunk large assignments into smaller tasks How do I use a checklist? How do I manage my time? Change seat to reduce distractions How do I transition? When is it appropriate to move? Materials given to student if forgotten (e.g. pencil) How do I know what materials I need? What is appropriate collateral?

Step #8: Examine at least three samples of student work/tests to determine if there is a change in the performance trend Class Grade Increased from a 24% to a 77% Highest class grade he had received since beginning high school!

Active Engagement Percentage of Time Data Observation Periods Baseline Graphic Organizers Change Seat Materials Given Peer Partner Chunking Assignments Graphic Organizers Change Seat outside classroom Materials Given Peer Partner Chunking Assignments Percentage of Time Data Observation Periods

Acceptability & Feasibility ratings

Acceptability & Feasibility: Pre-implementation Teachers asked to rate interventions indicated by classroom assessment process % Indicated % Feasible & Acceptable Top Reason Why Not Implemented 25.10 51.79 Other

Social Validity Measure: Description School Intervention Rating Form (SIRF) Adapted from the Treatment Acceptability Rating Form-Revised (Reimers & Wacker, 1988) Items assess an intervention’s perceived costs, effectiveness, disruptiveness, and acceptability Rated on a 7-point Likert scale (range 1-7) 2 versions: Teacher: 18 acceptability items Student : 6 acceptability items

Acceptability & Feasibility: Post-implementation Teacher Relative Ratings Overall Acceptability Items with Highest Mean Acceptability Items with Lowest Mean Acceptability Mean (Range) Mean 5.8 (5.3-6.4) Cost (6.9) Willingness to Implement (6.7) Not Disruptive (6.7) Effectiveness (3.8) Likelihood of permanent improvement (3.7)

Acceptability & Feasibility: Post-implementation Student Relative Ratings Overall Acceptability Items with Highest Mean Acceptability Items with Lowest Mean Acceptability Mean (Range) Mean 4.4 (2.0-7) Easy (5.3) Comfortable (5.3) Understanding (4.4) Help Improve (4.2) Like Intervention (3.2)

Implications for Research and Practice Implementation at secondary level difficult Many accommodations indicated, but teachers did not always report them as feasible and acceptable Overall, teachers and students rated accommodations as acceptable post-implementation Accommodations were rated at-least somewhat effective 1 month post-implementation